Belle Of The Ball 2014 - Four Roses Limited Edition
It is with great pleasure that I can inform you that we are the first and (at the time of writing) only stockist in the UK to have the fantastic 2014 Limited Edition Bourbon Releases from Four Roses available for sale. Consisting of two expressions, Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch, these highly anticipated whiskies were released in the US a few months ago to great acclaim.
They had a lot to live up to; since sales of the bourbon returned to the US after a prolonged absence, the Four Roses brand has become synonymous with quality and prestige under the expert craftsmanship of Master Distiller Jim Rutledge. This is doubly true of the Limited Edition expressions, which have been showered with awards, including American Whiskey Of The Year for the 2013 Small Batch.
Four Roses has long been popular in the European and Asian market, but I thought you might like to know a little more about the history of the brand that started back in 1884 and the unique way their production process works. But first, let’s take a closer look at the new Limited Edition range—I imagine you're all eager to decide whether you want some of this highly desirable (and very limited) bourbon!
Only 5,000 bottles were made for the entire world. That is obviously not very many, considering the popularity of last year’s 125th Anniversary bottling, which disappeared from our shelves quickly. Last year, the distillery utilized all 10 of their bourbons, made from a combination of two different mash bills and five yeast strains, but this year they have selected just one.
The eleven-year-old bourbon is designated OBSF and is bottled at cask strength, meaning it packs a strong punch without compromising the subtle complexity and balance that has propelled the distillery to bourbon stardom.
Nose: Candied fruit and clove.
Palate: Creamy and fresh with vibrant flavours of ripe cherries, red currants, pear, vanilla, and caramel.
Finish: Mellow-sweetened oak and sweet, candied fruit.
This year’s bottling is made from a vatting of four recipes: 13-year-old OBSV, 12-year-old OESV, 11-year-old OBSF, and 9-year-old OBSK.
Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch
Again, this whiskey is bottled at cask strength and un-chill-filtered so that you are enjoying it as nature intended. This year, the Small Batch is created from a vatting of four of the distillery’s 10 bourbons: OBSK, OESK, OBSV, and OBSF. Three of these use the higher rye mash bill (as signified by the "B" in the code), giving the finished product a spicy and fruity style.
Nose: Spicy, rich, mellow, fruity, hints of sweet oak & caramel.
Palate: Creamy, mellow, ripened red berries, rich, spicy, well-balanced, moderately sweet.
Finish: Soft, smooth, and pleasantly long.
Four Roses History
As with many great things in life, the story of Four Roses bourbon begins with a man's love for a beautiful woman. The founder of Four Roses, Paul Jones Jr., was awestruck by a particularly beautiful Southern lady after he moved his whisky business to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1884. He made his romantic intentions known and, as was the custom of the day, sent a proposal of marriage to the gorgeous Southern Belle. She replied that if she accepted, she would wear a corsage of red roses on her dress at an upcoming society ball. Suffice to say, Paul was equally nervous and excited when the evening finally came around, but his luck was in—upon her sparkling gown was pinned a corsage of four red roses. A few years later, he named his successful bourbon Four Roses as a testament to his passion for his now wife.
Paul had been making bourbon since 1860 and, after his move to Kentucky in 1884, opened an office in Whiskey Row, an infamous section of Main Street where bourbon production was prolific. He trademarked the name Four Roses in 1888 and never looked back. The early 1920s saw Paul acquire the Frankfort Distilling Company, and sales of Four Roses spiralled upward, boosting the brand's status to one of the top in the industry.
With Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon being one of the most predominant whiskey brands at the time, it wasn’t long before big-name players took an interest, leading to its purchase by Seagram in 1943. Despite Four Roses being the highest-selling bourbon throughout the mid-20th century in the US, Seagram ordained that they would stop selling it in the States, instead focusing on the European and Asian marketplaces. Its success in these foreign markets is well documented, becoming an overnight hit—it remains the best-selling bourbon in Europe and Japan.
After a long absence from its native land, Four Roses whiskey returned in 2002 when the Kirin Brewery Company acquired the brand and named their pride and joy the Four Roses Distillery LLC. Their vision was to continue the legacy started by Paul Jones Jr. and stay true to the passion that made Four Roses a success story. It didn’t take long—Four Roses is once again regarded as one of the best bourbons in the world.
The Four Roses Process
Four Roses has a unique way of producing their excellent whisky. It involves creating ten different bourbons from two mash bills and five unique strains of yeast. Rather than explain this in a convoluted manner and leave you confused, here is an excellent infographic from the distillery themselves. It explains with clarity how they bring different bourbons together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.